A/N: So this is where it gets all personal, and where we visit things behind religious affairs, sorry if I offend anybody. Just enjoy!

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Chapter 16: Returning

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~*~ Lupin’s Point of View ~*~

My body felt light and relaxed. I felt like I was floating away to an unknown place. Overcoming the shock of my death seemed to be unrealistic in my eyes, but I felt like it was my time.

As I felt my body move away from my soul; the form that I am in now, I eventually did open my eyes to acknowledge the fact that I was indeed, dead.

I saw Nymphadora cradling my limp body, while she got soaked to the skin. I saw Hermione and Draco crying over my fatal accident and I could feel his anger for his godfather burning in his heart.

I closed my eyes to stop the misty tears from falling and to block all memories of my life.

I remember something happening before I began to fly away. My other half had gone with me; my werewolf instincts had disappeared along with my life. The ghost-form of a wolf, I distinctly saw, howled when I departed, and its powers were gone with the wind.

Or at least I thought so…

The powers had landed on to someone, but I didn’t see who, but whoever did get the power of the wolf; God rest their souls!

As I rose above the clouds; leaving the world behind me, I felt my heart beating with caution, which was stupid really, I’m dead. My heart can’t be beating still, or am I still alive? I didn’t know where I was going, so I could feel nerves rushing around my blood. Again, I say to myself, I am dead. I shouldn’t be able to feel things!

“You want to go back, don’t you?” A voice called out to me.

You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish which till now
Has been silent
Silent.

I opened my eyes slowly and quickly scanned the place of where I was. It was desolate and bright, like it was a Holy place; just plain white.

“Who are you? What do you mean?” I asked the invisible. I felt stupid for doing this, but I have felt stupid previous before; for example; I died!

“You know who we are,” replied a different voice, it was familiar to me. “Do you want to return to Earth, and deliver your soul purpose in life?”

“But what is my soul purpose?”

“How would we know, we’re not you!” Replied the first voice.

I felt vulnerable here, like a mouse cornered by a hungry cat. I had no wand; I was defenceless, but I realised that my wand probably wouldn’t have worked here anyway. “Who are you?” I asked again.

“Can’t you recognise these two hooligans! I thought you were the smart one!” It was a woman who spoke this time.

My heart stopped, for the second time that day. “Lily? Is that you?”

I have brought you
That our passions may fuse and merge
In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defences
Completely succumbed to me

A sudden glow emitted around the space I was in, and a ghostly woman stepped into my view. I could no longer recognise her. Her red hair and emerald-green eyes were no longer distinguishable. She was just pale and misty. She was nothing. Empty.

“Oh Remus, I thought I would never see the day,” she sobbed and a tear fell from her clear eye. “How did you get here?”

I thought this was the most obvious question to answer when one went to Heaven. “I died,” I said.

“Yes. He did, Sirius,” I choked on my words when another sudden glow was emitted and Sirius stepped forward.

“So, he’s killed the last of the Marauders then?” He shuddered to think such a thing. His black eyes and shaggy hair were much clearer in colour than Lily’s but you could see death in his taunt and pale skin.

“No. Pettigrew is still scurrying about somewhere. Snape laid a curse on me and the other teachers but I was the one to die first. I feel so weak!”

“Well, you have just died,” Sirius pointed out. “And Peter was never one of us!”

“Gee, thanks pal!”

“So, are you going back then?” Lily and Sirius asked at the same time. I shrugged my shoulders and I felt very concerned. Both of them hadn’t uttered a single word about Harry.

“You want to save Harry, don’t you?” Uttered the first voice I had heard.

Now you are here with me
No second thoughts
You've decided
Decided.

“Indeed,” I answered. “Snape wants to finish what Voldemort had started all those years ago. So he wants to kill Harry. But how do I go back, James?”

“He wants to what?!” Lily screamed. James took her faint hand. He was just as transparent as she was, and his eyes had lost that shine that he always used to have.

“After Sirius died,” James began. “I knew you’d be a good guardian to Harry. But I won’t blame you if you go back. I understand that you need to help him, that’s your ticket!”

“But will I be able to come back here?” I pondered.

They shook their heads. “You will stay in your ghost form for eternity if you return,” Sirius explained.

“What about you guys, can’t you come back with me?”

Lily looked like she had just been slapped around the face with a wet, smelly kipper. “No,” she said. “We’ve been here way too long.”

“We’re not even supposed to be on the Verge of Life and Death. Here, talking to you is like, giving Sirius cat food! Its just not right,” James chuckled.

“Hey, you wouldn’t say that if you had to rummage around dust bins for over a year whilst on the run!”

“So, my future has already been decided,” I guessed.

They nodded. “You decided it, Remus,” Lily said sympathetically and she came forward and kissed me on the cheek.

I didn’t care if I was blushing, I didn’t know if I could or not but I felt alive again and then my body turned all wispy and cold and when I looked down at my hands, I could see the white surface I was standing on underneath.

I looked up at my friends. “If you think we’re kissing you,” Sirius said, pointing at himself then James. “Think again!”

“We’ll look out for you always,” Lily sniffed. I could feel myself moving away from them; floating.

“Look out for Harry!” James shouted to me.

I felt like I was spinning back to the ground, or like the darkening abyss was taking over my body. But I realised that my eyes were closing and the darkness was washing over me, as I began my new life

Past the point of no return
No backward glances
Our games of make-believe are at an end.

“Yes, unfortunately,” he looked at all their shocked faces. “He was being very sarcastic about my death!”

“You saw my mum and dad?!” Harry didn’t want to believe Lupin as the course of jealousy would begin to run through his blood.

Lupin cast him a nervous glance. “Yes, and they miss you so much. They love you dearly but they didn’t see a way of how to come back. In fact, they seemed disturbed at the very idea.”

Harry’s heart fluttered. His parents still knew who he was, he felt love beat in his heart. “I wish I could’ve seen them,” he wept, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Lupin smiled. “You don’t wish to be dead,” he pulled Harry into a comforting hug.

Harry thought he’d be met with the cold shower he had met countless of times when he had come into contact with a ghost. But this time, Lupin felt warm and solid, as if he was standing right there, fully alive, and breathing.

“So,” Lupin began, taking a “glide” away from Harry looking rather uncomfortable. “What do we have to do, Hermione?”

“We have to go and rescue McGonagall from down in the Chamber of Secrets. Then we have to figure out a way to get rid of Snape, once and for all!” She explained.

Lupin gulped. Harry’s eyes were full of determination, so he was up to it, Lupin thought, rather you than me! “Right, you guys get ready and I’ll make myself known with the students and the other ghosts,” Lupin drifted out of the staff room.

Hermione grabbed Harry around the neck and surveyed him closely. “You’re sure you want to do this?” She asked him with concern.

“Well, I have no choice and it’s the only way,” he said sadly.

“I can’t believe he’s back, this is so great!” She shrilled with happiness.

“Yeah, I just wish that I could see my mum, dad and Sirius again. I need them here. I need their help!”

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Past all thought of “if” or “when”
No use resisting
Abandon thought and let the dream descend

As Hermione had instructed, the “staff” pinned up on their classroom doors that all lessons are to be cancelled until further notice, that every student had to stay in their common rooms until things have been sorted.

Lupin had talked to the ghosts about the situation at hand. They all seemed willing to help, even the Bloody Baron seemed well to help with the killing of Snape.

Draco tickled Hermione on her bare arms and around her torso. She screamed and squirmed, but eventually, he stopped. He began to caress her skin gently.

“I’m proud of you, you know that?” He breathed deeply by her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

“I’m just glad you’re with me,” she smiled up at him then they embraced.

They pulled apart and then they kissed. Their lips moved against one another, Draco’s tongue licked Hermione’s rather red lips; pleading for entry. She opened her mouth slightly and soon, their tongues rolled around with each other, exploring each other’s mouths.

“Is this a bad time or should we come back later?” Asked Lupin from somewhere nearby.

Draco and Hermione stopped kissing. They looked to find Lupin appear from out of the opposite wall, while the procession in waiting stared at them in utter horror.

Hermione blushed. “Why are all you guys hanging around for? C’mon, let’s go!” She grabbed Draco’s hand and began to lead the way to the second floor.

As they approached the Out of Order bathroom belonging to Moaning Myrtle, she turned to look at her companions. “You don’t have to come, you know?” She said.

Past the point of no return
The final threshold
What warm unspoken secrets
Will we learn
Beyond the point of no return?

“Are you kidding? You’re not doing this on your own,” Ginny answered back. Hermione smiled and so they entered the rather dry bathroom.

The sinks which lined the bathroom wall were still there. Harry ran up to them and searched for the engraved snake.

“You don’t have to use the toilet at the same time, you know?” A low, weary voice sounded out. Moaning Myrtle swooped in at them from a rather smelly toilet, but she seemed to be unaffected by the stench.

“Hello Myrtle. Long time no see,” Hermione said happily.

“I could say the same thing to you,” she sniffed. “What’re you doing here anyway?”

“We’re going into the Chamber for a party!” Ron said sarcastically and pretended to do some wild dance.

“We’re here to get McGonagall,” Hermione said truthfully.

“Right. I won’t keep you then. And I won’t get my hopes up to ever think of you to walk in here to see me again. But I’m sure you will?” She cast a hopeful look at Lupin, she winked slyly.

“I’ll see you all down there,” he pointed out, then sank through the floor; innocently whistling and unable to hide his disturbed face.

You have brought me
To that moment when words run dry
To that moment when speech disappears
Into silence
Silence.

“I found it guys,” Harry spoke up. Everyone dashed over to see, and there it was, the engraved snake; the hidden entrance to the Chamber.

“Get on with it then!” Draco ordered.

Harry stared at the snake, pretending it to hiss and stare right back at him. He sighed. “Open up!” He hissed.

As if by magic, the sinks sprang to life and moved aside as the snake-engraved sink, sank into the ground. A pipe appeared for them all to slide down.

Harry smiled, feeling just as disturbed as Lupin, then he fell down the pipe. Everyone followed him. “If you all die down there, you can forget about sharing with me and Harry!” Myrtle shouted down.

Lupin helped them up as they tumbled on to the cold, hard stone of the Chamber of Secrets. No bones littered the place, just sewage and more damp.

“You never told me that a ghost had a thing for you,” Ginny nudged Harry in the sides with a very amused expression on her face.

Defenceless and silent,
Now I am here with you
No second thoughts
I've decided
Decided.

“Oh shut up! C’mon, let’s go,” Harry led the way through the rubble and grime. Everyone was told to keep their wands out, but Hermione and Draco knew that their weapons were no use in this predicament.

“Open up!” Harry hissed again as they reached a locked, snake-engraved, steel door, which opened with a loud hiss and they all stepped inside.

Past the point of no return
No going back now
Our passion-play has now at last begun

Water rose up to their waists, while Lupin glided overhead. They swam their way through twisting and turning tunnels; some with dead ends and some which lead them back to the beginning of the maze.

Still, no sign of McGonagall.

Past all thought of right or wrong
One final question
How long should we two wait before we're one?

“Apart from the emerald eyes of the snakes?” Harry wondered. “Probably.”

Everybody gulped, but they carried on through the tunnels. After about another fifteen minutes of desperate searching, Lupin called back to them. “Through here! Watch out for the… deep water.”

When will the blood begin to race
The sleeping bud burst into bloom
When will the flames at last consume us?

Everybody had fallen into deeper, murky water. They could see a few yards ahead of them, a limp body on a stone platform. Even though he wasn’t a good swimmer, with all his strength, Harry swam to get to the other side.

They all climbed out and crawled over to McGonagall, who looked as though she was worse for wear; almost dead. Harry shook her awake, which he managed.

“Potter, is that you?” She mumbled.

“Yes, we have to get you out of here,” he instructed.

Past the point of no return
The final threshold
The bridge is crossed
So stand and watch it burn
We've passed the point of no return.

“Where am I?” She asked. She felt dizzy and disorientated.

“Look, there’s no time to explain, we…”

A scream was issued from all the girls present. They were being tied together with gags across their mouths. Harry made to move, but he was shot back with a Stunning Spell, but it hardly fazed him.

“Well, it did take you a long time to figure it out. But it seems to me that you have fallen into my trap, Potter!” Snape spat as he stepped out from the shadows behind McGonagall’s body.

Harry spun on the spot, back by Draco, Ron, Neville and Blaise. Snape had malice contorted over his face, but he subdued a weak grin with it.

Say you'll share with me
One love, one lifetime
Lead me, save me from my solitude

“I guess you figured out who my “ friends” are as well. Have you Miss Granger?” He questioned.

Hermione frowned at him, but gasped under her gag when Pettigrew, Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange also stepped out of the shadows.

Say you want me
With you here
Beside you
Anywhere you go
Let me go too
That's all I ask of…

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Song: This song is actually from the musical, Phantom of the Opera, so if no one has seen or listened to the music then you’ll probably think I’m just weird. It’s called The Point of No Return, and I just thought the lyrics go well!